FT: It's "now Or Never" For EU Expansion

• 7.08.2026, 14:13

The EU faces a choice.

The European Union faces a choice—to expand now or to postpone the admission of new members, according to Financial Times reports, citing sources in candidate countries and among EU officials in an article titled “Now or Never.” "Is the EU serious about admitting new members?"

Pressure on Brussels has intensified given that not a single country has joined the EU in 13 years. Currently, the countries in the queue for accession are Montenegro, Ukraine, Moldova, Albania, Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo. The FT reports that Montenegro is in the lead: it has completed more than half of the required reforms, the EU has begun drafting legislation for its accession, and has allocated funds in the budget. Ukraine and Moldova have begun negotiations.

According to the newspaper, the candidate countries doubt that Brussels’ promises are realistic, while there is no consensus within the EU: some countries support admitting new members, while others fear that the union cannot handle it.

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos stated that the issue of enlargement is less about the economy and more about security. “It’s about how Europeans can work together in the new reality,” she said.

According to her, the goal is to create a Europe capable of competing with other world powers.